Shadows of Silence
by MasterGhandalf
Summary: An idealistic young Warden crosses paths in St. Louis with a reluctant White Court fear vampire who's been framed for a crime she didn't commit. The two must work together to clear her name and uncover a conspiracy that threatens both their kinds. OC centric, little direct involvement from canon characters, set shortly after Dead Beat.


**AN: **Welcome, everyone, to my very first Dresdenverse fanfic! I say "Dresdenverse" rather than _Dresden Files_ because while this story is rooted very strongly in the world Jim Butcher created, it will be largely OC-centric. Factions that play major roles in the series will certainly show up here (not spoiling which, but some you can probably guess), and we'll probably see some canon characters in the flesh before the end (probably not Harry, Murphy and co., though, although if this series goes on long enough I'd love to cross over with the books' main protagonists more directly, once my characters are more established). As such, this is what TVTropes calls an "Elsewhere Fic", and if that's not your thing, then this story probably isn't for you. I hope to make this the first story in an ongoing series.

Why am I doing things this way? Largely, because I love the 'verse Butcher has created for his characters, but hate stepping on canon's toes with fic while it's in progress. I'd also like to take a deeper look at certain concepts- for this story, White Court fear vampires being a major one- that canon has only really dealt with in one or two books. This story is set roughly between _Dead Beat_ and _Proven Guilty_, though both main characters are probably closer to where Harry was in _Storm Front_ in terms of their power levels. More detailed summary follows:

_Alessandra "Alessa" Malvora is a vampire of the White Court, bred to feed on fear- and she wishes she wasn't. Being young and unimportant in the Court hierarchy, she'd love nothing more than to lie low and stay out of the "family business" until they forget she exists at all. Unfortunately for Alessa, when you share your soul with an emotion-eating demon, life is rarely that simple… _

_David Chatham is a recently confirmed Warden of the White Council. Young, idealistic, and passionate, he's more than ready to have his chance to fight warlocks, demons, and monsters of all descriptions in defense of humanity and the Laws of Magic. But he is also haunted by the mysterious disappearance of his mentor and suspicions that there are forces moving in the shadows that his training hasn't prepared him for…_

_Alessa's and David's paths cross when she's framed for a series of ritual murders she didn't commit. The unlikely pair will have to work together to capture the real culprit- but can a reluctant vampire and an idealistic wizard survive a confrontation with a conspiracy that could have dire ramifications for both their kinds? _

**Prologue: Conspirators**

Anton Skavis paused in front of the plain-looking hotel room door for a brief moment to compose himself before raising one hand to knock. The brief flutter of anxiety that passed through his stomach was not a feeling he was accustomed to- after all, he was a vampire of the White Court and though young for his kind, he was used to holding power over others, being the predator, and not the prey. Still, he supposed, one could never be too cautious when dealing with the likes of the man who waited for him in the room behind the door. Anton detested his association with the man, but if it would bring him advantage in climbing the cutthroat ranks of Court nobility- and he had been assured that it would- he would stomach it for a while longer.

The vampire's knuckles had barely rapped once against the door when a voice from the other side told him he could enter. Anton pushed it open- he was momentarily surprised that it wasn't locked; but then, the one who waited for him had little need for locks- and stepped inside. The room was small, comfortable but not overly so, the kind of room one would expect would be booked by someone of decent but not opulent means who only intended to stay for a few days. The window was open and through it sunlight could be seen streaming over the St. Louis skyline.

The man who sat in the office chair by the window wouldn't have stood out in any crowd- he was, to all appearances, middle-aged, balding, wearing a dress shirt and slacks, with pale blue eyes behind a plain pair of glasses engrossed in the newspaper in his lap. He looked, in short, unremarkable; there was nothing about him to show that he was more than the scholar of the occult he claimed to be, and had Anton met him under any other circumstances, he would have thought nothing of inflicting despair upon him so that his Hunger might feet on the man's anguish.

But Anton Skavis knew exactly who and what this man really was, and as such, he didn't dare.

The man looked up from his paper as Anton shut the door behind him. "Mr. Skavis," he said, his accent British and cultured. "Your timing is impeccable."

"You wished to see me as soon as you arrived in town, my lord," Anton said. "I didn't think that disappointing you would be wise."

The man snorted softly. "Well, I'm glad you didn't. We have important matters to attend to. I trust you've been doing your part in our plan?"

"I have found several sites that I believe will serve our needs, and several victims that no one will miss. I also think I've found an ideal scapegoat to take the fall for our actions should certain parties take an interest. Everything should be ready for the ritual to go off without difficulty."

"Good, good," the man said, nodding. "I do hate unnecessary complications. You've done quite well. Who says vampires can't be relied upon?" He withdrew a folded piece of paper from his shirt pocket and handed it to Anton. "I've mapped out the details of how the rituals must be performed. I have a presentation I have to make at the university tonight- begin the first steps, and when I'm free I'll join you. Do as I instruct- _exactly_ as I instruct- and I can help insure your rise." _But if you fail me, then House Skavis won't even know what happened to your corpse_. The man's eyes, peering over the top rims of his glasses, seemed to sear the unspoken words into Anton's mind.

"I won't fail you, my lord," the vampire said rather stiffly, taking the instructions.

"Then, Mr. Skavis, you have nothing to worry about." The man smiled calmly. "You had best begin. We'll speak again later." He turned away, and Anton knew that was his signal to depart.

Yes, this association might not be a pleasant one, but it would bring power and advantage. To a noble of the White Court, very little was too unpleasant to endure for those. Anton would help this man arrange a thousand rituals if that was what it took for him to someday sit at the head of House Skavis- and after that, one day perhaps if he was fortunate the throne of the White King itself.

**AN:** Anton's lord isn't a canonical character, but he is affiliated with a canonical organization. Keep that in mind whenever he appears…


End file.
